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Shining Light on Farm & Food Policy for 20 Years.
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
The Senate Agriculture Committee hears today from representatives from major agricultural sectors on the health of the farm economy. The hearing, which will feature almost a dozen witnesses, comes as farmers grapple with multiple economic threats.
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection for agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, told Agri-Pulse Wednesday her meetings with senators this week have been "extremely productive" and highlighted the regional and bipartisan nature of farm policy.
Republicans blocked the Senate on Thursday from taking up a House-passed tax bill that includes improvements to valuable expensing provisions used by farmers, as well as an expansion of the child tax credit.
Congressional leaders are due to meet with President Joe Biden today as lawmakers face a Friday deadline for keeping USDA and several other departments funded.
The Agriculture Department has more than doubled funding for a program to help rebuild grain storage capacity in regions hit by storms in 2021 and 2022, but agency officials say the additional funds will likely not be enough to cover the high number of applications they have seen.
The House approved and sent to President Biden's desk Friday a $1.7 trillion year-end spending bill that includes $3.7 billion in farm disaster aid and clears some key unfinished business for agriculture, including measures to help producers take advantage of carbon markets.
Congress kicks off its lame duck session this week with control of the House for the next two years still undecided, and GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy still trying to shore up votes to be speaker, if Republicans take over the chamber.